The branched chain amino acids isoleucine, leucine, and valine have long been purported to be the main drivers of new muscle growth. Bodybuilders have been taking BCAAs for years as a muscle building supplement. Is it possible that BCAAs are also valuable when it comes to burning fat?
As I've said before, I am a fitness professional and not a nutrition expert. However, that does not mean that I do not keep up with the latest nutrition research. It is always important to know what is going on around you because that is the best way to serve the people who put their trust in you.
When it comes to nutrition, I put my trust in Prograde. They provide me with a great deal of the nutrition information that I can pass on to you, my audience. So, when they release an informative article that discusses a possible link between BCAAs and fat loss, I gladly pass it on. If you are serious about fat loss or training, the least you can do is stay informed. If you are convinced that BCAAs can help you, by all means, try them out. If not, at least you are equipped with more knowledge than you had before.
With that being said, here is the article I am referring to.
After reading it, do me a favor. Leave a comment below. Do you think BCAAs can help with fat loss, or do you think it is all just marketing hype to sell more product? Tell me what you think.
First, I'm unsure where the link between BCAAs and cortisol comes about? Cortisol is a stress hormone usually associated with chronic stressors. If you're stressed, then levels are high. If not, no such luck.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it seems that BCAAs are hard to come by in a regular diet if 99% of us aren't consuming enough of them. Maybe the correlation between BCAA supplements and building lean muscle has more to do with supplementing a usually absent amino acid since all AAs are necessary to properly repair muscles after damage. If all the BCAAs are being used by normal metabolic function, there aren't enough to go around to satisfy hypertrophy.
Last, the relationship between fat loss and building muscle eludes me. Is there a direct relationship?
I don't study nutrition as diligently as I do exercise, so I couldn't tell ya. But I do think BCAAs are useful for supplementation for muscle growth. I think there is enough evidence to support that.
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